Students across Wales receive A-level and vocational results

An 18-year-old firefighter who combined his A-levels with responding to emergency calls is among thousands of students getting results on Thursday morning.

Bobi Jones from Newcastle Emlyn in Carmarthenshire said he felt "quite relaxed" about his grades after having "plenty on my plate" responding to recent wildfires.

As well as A-levels, results for AS, BTec and other vocational qualifications will also be published, with many students hoping to progress to university.

A-level grades can be shared with students from 08:00 BST but arrangements vary depending on the school or college.

Bobi is waiting for results for A-level business and sport, as well as the Welsh Baccalaureate qualification.

He said his school, Ysgol Bro Teifi, had been "very flexible", with teachers allowing him to leave class when his work alarm went off as long as he caught up with schoolwork afterwards.

"The past few months have been very busy with exams and also the fire brigade. We've been really busy with fires and wildfires," he said.

Fortunately the problem has not been as serious as in some areas, but Bobi has been regularly responding to "a few patches of grass going up on fire and just spreading very fast".

He is now planning to take on an apprenticeship with a local electrician which he will combine with on-call shifts for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

Last year, the proportion of A* grades rose slightly to 10.5%, while 29.5% of results were A or A* which was lower than in 2024.

Data shows 32.8% of Welsh 18-year-olds had applied for university places by the end of June - slightly up on last year but lower than figures for other UK nations.

Rosa MacGowan, 18, from Swansea juggled studying four A-levels and the Welsh Baccalaureate alongside her part-time job in the hope of going on to be a doctor.

Having spent the summer Interrailing and spending time with friends, she is eager to find out what's next.

"My first choice is to study medicine at Glasgow uni, and my insurance is pharmacy at Newcastle," she said.

"I am really excited about either of these options, as they seem like really fun cities, and completely different to Swansea.

"I think both of these courses should have good career prospects, and lots of interesting opportunities."

Rosa said she felt "positive about the future and can't wait for the next chapter".

"I am nervous for results day, but I am aware that if it doesn't work out, there's plenty of other options, and I can always go travelling again".

William Hopkins has been studying for a BTEC in Uniformed Protective Services, alongside his A-levels and hopes to join the Army after results day.

"I've enjoyed it, but I've never been really academic and I never really enjoyed school that much," he said.

"I think I'll still get decent-ish grades but I could have probably done a bit more.

"I'm looking to go into either the Army or Royal Marines as an officer."

William wants to follow in the footsteps of family members by joining the armed forces and some of his friends signed up at 16.

"They've all gone in younger, but I wanted to have a bit more experience living I guess," he added.

"I've always enjoyed new things and testing my limits.

"Even if I don't get into the Army I know I will land on my feet somewhere else."

Aiming for a place studying criminology with psychology at the University of the West of England in Bristol, Caitlin Giffard, also from Swansea, needs three Bs.

She did well in last year's AS results so feels hopeful.

"It was a real eye-opener, really, the difference between GCSE and A-level, because I had a lot of friends who did quite well at GCSEs, but then had grades drop at A-level.

"I think it shows how big the jump was.

"I felt good about my exams though this year, so I'm hoping for good results."

Caitlin said she felt "quite positive "about the future despite the unknown of results day being "a little scary".

Results for the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales will also be released on Thursday.

Many students will need confirmation of their grades to secure university offers and can usually get updated information about their places, external from 08:00 BST.

Bethan Evans, executive director for regulation and analysis at Medr, said there had been a drop in the number of students progressing to study at A-level "particularly in the years since Covid".

Asked whether that was a concern, she said there were "more options available to our young people today than ever before".

"More and more people at the age of 16 are choosing to go to study vocational qualifications at further education colleges, for example," she said.

This year's results come after a major UK government report, external highlighted "shrinking" job and career opportunities for a "lost generation" of young people with high numbers not in education, employment and training (Neet).

Welsh government data suggests that 17% of Welsh young people aged 16 to 24 are Neet.

Evans said it was "a significant challenge for us" which had "an impact on people's life prospects".

She said Medr worked across universities, colleges and apprenticeship providers to try to address the issue.

"I think we do see that there is a risk of losing some learners fairly early on in their [education] journey, and that's part of the reason why Medr has put in place an expansion of the junior apprenticeship scheme," she added.